AUTHENTIC ARUBAN AYACA

Recipe by: SaveMore Food Stores
Serves
8
Time
180 minutes
Families come together to prepare the ayaca to wake up their Christmas Spirit listening to Christmas music creating a wonderful atmosphere. Ayaca has become a Christmas tradition since a couple of decades. We adopted it mostly from Venezuelan immigrants and changed it a bit to add an Arubian flavor.
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon of vinegar
  • 2 lbs. Chicken (preferably whole legs) wash in lime juice
  • 1 lb. pork chop
  • 2 Tbs. tomato paste
  • 3 Tbs. butter
  • 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • garlic powder, curry, chicken broth, oregano, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
  • 1 1/2 cup of fresh milk
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1 Tsp. salt
  • 1 Tsp. cumin
  • 2 Tsp. sugar
  • 4 Tbs. of the marinade
  • 3 cup flour (corn-meal white)
  • 1 Tbs. chicken with a little sauce
  • 1 piece a pork
  • 1 prune (dried)
  • some raisins
  • 1 olive
  • 1 slice pickle
  • 1 cashew (nut)
  • 1 dice of ham
  • a little bit piccalilli
  • 1 baby onion
Directions
  • To prepare 'Ayaca Leaves' (plantain or banana leaves): Cut the leaf in approximately 40 to 20cm and boil them for 15 minutes with salt and 1 teaspoon of vinegar.
  • Drain, discarding water, smear a little fat on the leaves and place them in the fridge for later use.
  • For the filling: 2 lbs. Chicken (preferably whole legs) wash in lime juice + 1 lb. pork chop
  • Put the chicken and the pork in a large pan with 2 Tbs. tomato paste + 3 Tbs. butter + 3 Tbs. vegetable oil + 1 chicken bouillon cube + garlic powder, curry, chicken broth, oregano, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Close the pan and continue cooking for a few minutes. Then just before it starts boiling remove the chicken and pork. De-bone the chicken into small pieces and chop the pork also in small pieces. Add a bit of the marinade to the chicken to keep it from drying and set aside.
  • To make the dough put in a pan: 1 1/2 cup of fresh milk + 1 1/2 cup water.
  • Just before it starts to boil add: 1 Tsp. salt + 1 Tsp. cumin + 2 Tsp. sugar + 4 Tbs. of the marinade + Mix it well and remove from the stove.
  • Slowly while stirring add: 3 cup flour (corn-meal white) + Spread some dough on the leaves and not too thick.
  • Put on the dough: 1 Tbs. chicken with a little sauce + 1 piece a pork + 1 prune (dried) +
    some raisins + 1 olive + 1 slice pickle + 1 cashew (nut) + 1 dice of ham +a little bit piccalilli + 1 baby onion
  • Fold the ayaca leaf close then put another leaf on the folded side, and fold again. Then tie the ayaca with a string. Then boil them in water with salt for 1 hour.
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